Cindy was approaching the end of her eight-hour shift at Krogers. She had been working as many extra hours as possible to save money for her family to finally take a vacation. She and her husband had lived frugally for as long as they could remember to ensure their meager paychecks paid the bills. They had no credit card debt and the mortgage was almost paid for. Their daughter had left school and was paying rent from the job she had found at Burger King. Things were beginning to look brighter.
Cindy was stacking a shelf when the scent of white musk mixed with delicate jasmine aroused her senses and made her skin tingle. Excitement twisted in her stomach. She turned to find herself face-to-face with the voluptuous bosom of a woman in a tight-fitting black turtleneck. The cashmere stretched perfectly around the contours of her vivacious breasts.
Cindy gulped. She raised her eyes to a face she recognized from school. A face that still haunted her dreams: Eleanor. It had been over twenty years. Her skin glowed in a healthy tan as if she had recently returned from a luxurious stay at the beach. Her face seemed even more beautiful than Cindy remembered. It was as if it had actually discovered its true self with age. Her black hair was sleek like silk. She raised a single plucked eyebrow as she stared down at Cindy. Her hazel eyes glimmered with droplets of gold. She lifted a hand and cupped the name badge on Cindy’s apron. A row of gold bracelets slipped down her wrist. Cindy held her breath. Would she remember her? All the times she carried her bags? The times she washed and ironed her gym clothes? The times she did her homework? Cleaned her car? Waited in line for her lunch?
‘I need some assistance,’ said Eleanor, dropping Cindy’s nametag.
Cindy nodded. Her words stalled in her throat. ‘Y-yes, of course. I’m happy to.’
A part of her was disappointed Eleanor had not recognized her, but a larger part was relieved. She looked down at Eleanor’s hourglass figure. A Gucci belt held tight black jeans and her Gucci boots were encircled by bejeweled straps with lug soles. Eleanor was rich. Too rich to be seen in a Krogers. Meanwhile, Cindy was dressed in an apron, stacking shelves.
Eleanor placed her hands on her hips. Her thumbnails slotted into her Gucci belt. ‘I’ve had an awful day. My housekeeper found herself in the ICU before she’d even finished her chores. I’ve no food in the house. I don’t have time to order anything now. I haven’t the faintest idea what I’m supposed to do in a place like this. Where is the organic spinach? The collards? The pink lettuce?’
‘Um, I don’t think you will find those things here, miss. I think your housekeeper maybe shopped at the Fresh Market?’
Eleanor inhaled her annoyance through her nose. Her posture straightened and her breasts swelled. Cindy swallowed with intimidation. She remembered Eleanor’s temper when things did not go her way (which was not often.) Cindy felt a familiar feeling of distress rising through her blood. She did not want to let Eleanor down.
‘We, uh, probably have some things here? Do you have a list?’
Eleanor pulled a gold-plated iPhone Pro Max from her back pocket. She scrolled over the glossy screen and raised her eyes to Cindy expectantly. Cindy jerked awake and retrieved her own, much smaller, older, device. Eleanor’s lip curled slightly at the sight of it. Cindy flushed as she read her number. Her hands trembled as her phone vibrated. She saw Eleanor’s list as an attachment.
‘Let’s see what you have here, Miss.’
Eleanor sighed. ‘I don’t have time for this. I have an appointment. Why don’t you go ahead and just collect everything for me?’
‘Um, yes, of course, I can do that. Um, what time do you want to pick it up?’
‘It’ll be easier if you just deliver it to my house.’
Eleanor tapped on her screen and a second message vibrated on Cindy’s phone. It was Eleanor’s address. She lived in Paradise Hills, the rich area of town. Of course, she did. Cindy always knew she would be successful at anything she chose to do. She had always been the most popular, charismatic, and beautiful person in any room, but those were only her surface qualities. Cindy had witnessed her intelligence and creativity firsthand. Cindy had always felt privileged to be in her presence. Her gratefulness had apparently not faded with time. It was still a treat to smell her perfume, to see her clothes, to be so close to her world of luxury.
‘I’ll expect you around 6:00,’ said Eleanor. It wasn’t a question.
‘O-of course, miss, I’ll see you then,’ said Cindy, swallowing the urge to thank her for it.
*
Cindy watched, mesmerized by the sway of Eleanor’s buttocks as she sauntered away. The flawlessness of her curves was highlighted by the way her jeans molded perfectly around her wide hips. It was as if they had been bespokely crafted to fit her form. Cindy noted she was not the only one staring. The eyes of every customer, man or woman, shifted as Eleanor swept past them in a haze of perfume and designer labels. Women like Eleanor were not supposed to exist in reality, and if they did, they were certainly not supposed to be at Krogers.
Cindy felt a swell of excitement to think that Eleanor had chosen her. Was there a part of Eleanor that remembered that skinny, diffident girl in glasses who had tried so hard to please her? Cindy smiled. Perhaps her efforts had left some mark on Eleanor’s life, even if only subconsciously. After all, Eleanor had shown no concern to entrust her groceries to that same girl’s middle-aged counterpart.
As Eleanor disappeared through the automatic doors the grip her presence held on the store slowly dissipated. Glances were exchanged amongst the customers as if they were seeking assurance amongst themselves that they had actually seen that.
Cindy looked down at Eleanor’s grocery list, eager to get started. However, she chilled upon the realization Krogers sold nothing Eleanor actually wanted. Eleanor had been specific in her brand choice. It was no wonder Eleanor had struggled to find anything. Krogers was far too mediocre for somebody like her.
Cindy’s fervor was quickly replaced with horror. She got to work, rushing through the aisles in a vain attempt to find something Eleanor wanted. She dared not substitute. Cindy knew this crap was fine for people like Cindy. But Eleanor was not Cindy. She required better. Cindy felt the risk of failure invoking her old anxiety. Her palms began to sweat. Heat seared into her brain. She nibbled on her nails.
It was just like that time at high school. She had asked Eleanor for permission to take some time in the evening to work on her own assignment since she had already finished, edited, and polished Eleanor’s. There was little else she could think to do with it. Eleanor responded by staring through her. Eleanor’s friends even ceased their gossip to stare in disbelief. Cindy always shriveled under that stare. She immediately apologized, her voice cracking as tears threatened to spill. Eleanor never said a word. She did not need to. Cindy was left quietly sobbing as she watched Eleanor walk away from her life.
Cindy worked until the early hours on Eleanor’s assignment. Each sentence was perfect, each point was cross-referenced, and each semi-colon was grammatical. It was a month before Eleanor allowed Cindy to be near her again. The relief Cindy had felt at Eleanor’s A+ made her cry. And when Eleanor told Cindy her lunch order one beautiful day, it made the F Cindy received for the hastily scribbled assignment she had written minutes before the start of class, worth everything.
No, Cindy would not let Eleanor down. She would drive to every grocery store in the city if she had to. Eleanor’s housekeeper had been capable of finding everything Eleanor needed. Why couldn’t Cindy? Sure, she would spend money on gas, but that was fine. Eleanor was worth it.
*
Cindy exited her dented 2001 Ford Taurus. She approached the gilded gates that guarded Eleanor’s mansion. She looked through the bars at the long stone driveway and multi-acre lawn that led to the multi-million neoclassical manor. It reminded her of a French chateau. Eleanor was even wealthier than Cindy had dreamed.
She looked back at the first and only car she had ever bought. Even then it had been second-hand. It continued to run through a mixture of good fortune and her husband’s tinkering. She regretted not stopping to have it washed. It looked sad as if it was embarrassing to have soiled itself. The thought that the bags of groceries in the trunk were worth more than the car put Cindy’s life into perspective.
Cindy had driven for five hours, stopping at every high-end supermarket and exclusive grocer she could find. Eleanor expected her at 6:00. She hadn’t the time to stop and rest. She was sweaty. The air conditioner in her car had never worked. She had done it, though. She had found it all and arrived with fifteen minutes to spare. She would have felt proud were it not for the shame of her vehicle. The receipts were in her pocket. She dreaded asking Eleanor for the money back. Should she say how much it was? Should she just hand her the receipts? Should she wait to be asked? The anxiety made her nauseous.
She pressed a buzzer on the gate and waited for a response. It was a minute before a girl’s voice, not Eleanor’s, came languidly through the speaker.
‘Yeah? What?’
Cindy leaned her face into the speaker. ‘Um, yes, hello, this is Cindy?’
Silence.
‘I have groceries?’
There was a crunch of static as the girl released the receiver. Cindy was left waiting. She glanced up and saw a security camera above her head. The lens stared directly at her. She maneuvered her work pants, feeling self-conscious beneath the glare. A few moments later, the gate trundled open.
‘Thank you,’ she said into the silent speaker.
She returned to her car and slowly drove up the driveway. She parked opposite twin Aston Martins and a jet-black Mercedes SUV with golden rims. She wished she had walked. Eleanor’s cars deservedly mocked the disheveled appearance of her own. She looked up at the white limestone mansion. A grand staircase led to a front porch supported by classical columns and double mahogany doors. She had known she and Eleanor were destined for different life trajectories, but Eleanor had arrived at a different stratosphere. It must have really been an emergency for Eleanor to try and do her own grocery shopping. She sympathized. It must have been daunting for her. she felt happy to have been available to help.
Her phone buzzed and her heart leaped. The message was Eleanor’s: ‘Go around the back.’ Cindy looked around for access and found a floral archway between a manicured hedgerow. She opened her trunk and bundled four bags into her arms.
She headed through the archway and followed the ivy that covered the manor’s outer wall. She came to a Grecian swimming pool and grass tennis court. An athletic-looking girl in form-fitting white shorts and a polo shirt twirled her racket. Her toned body was poised. A machine fired a tennis ball and with a grunt, she struck it over the tight netting. Her blond ponytail bounced as she prepared her feet for her next return. Eleanor’s daughter? She doubted she could have been much older than Cindy’s own daughter but her physique made her seem far more mature.
Cindy regretted Sarah had taken after her. She knew Sarah’s life would be more difficult because of it. In a perfect world, appearance did not matter, but Cindy knew better. There was a reason why she still stocked shelves at Krogers. She knew she had a work ethic. She rarely missed a day and always tried to gain additional hours. But each time a higher position opened, it would be awarded to another. She felt bad that Sarah, only a year out of high school, had already suffered the disappointment of seeing the better-looking, confident, effervescent co-workers being promoted above her. Cindy offered reassuring words: just keep working hard and someone will notice you. She knew it was a lie but after the hardship Sarah suffered at high school, Cindy did not want to discourage her.
‘That’s Jessica,’ said Eleanor from behind Cindy, ‘my eldest.’
Cindy jumped. Eleanor leaned against an open door, one leg cocked, and her arms were folded over her breasts.
Cindy smiled nervously. ‘Hi, again,’ she said happily.
‘Did you get everything?’
‘Yes, I think so. Some of this stuff was really hard to find, though.’
Eleanor stared.
‘N-not that I’m complaining or anything. I was real happy to help. It’s just that I um don’t think you should try shopping at Krogers again. Ha ha.’
Eleanor stared.
Cindy swallowed. ‘So, um, do you want me to unpack?’ The offer took her by surprise. She had not planned on anything else, but Eleanor’s stare made it seem rude to not offer.
‘The kitchen’s through here,’ said Eleanor. ‘Don’t bother asking me where anything goes. My housekeeper deals with that. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.’
‘No problem,’ she said and followed Eleanor inside.
She gaped upon seeing the grandeur of the kitchen. It was larger than the entire downstairs of her own home. Marble countertops sparkled clean as if fashioned directly from the pages of a glossy magazine. There were double ovens, two double-doored fridge-freezers, and triple sinks in stainless steel. The cabinets were intricately carved from cherry wood. There was a walk-in pantry and two islands.
‘Wow,’ she said, ‘this is amazing. It’s like the kitchen of my dreams.’
Eleanor slotted her buttocks on a cushioned stool behind the far island. ‘You dream of kitchens?’ she said, turning her attention to an iPad Pro. Cindy laughed. Eleanor glanced up at her and sighed. ‘Are you going to just hold onto those bags?’
‘Oh, right,’ said Cindy, placing them on the closest countertop.
Eleanor returned to her iPad. Her black fingernails were glittered by silver. They twinkled like stars in the night sky. Was this the appointment Eleanor could not miss?
‘I really love your nails, Eleanor.’
Eleanor slowly raised her eyes from the screen. Cindy cleared her throat and squirmed.
‘How do you know my name?’
Cindy swallowed. ‘Well, um, I didn’t want to say earlier, but um, I think we went to high school together?’
Eleanor stared.
‘I mean, I uh, know we did. I would pick up your lunch and bring it to your table. I did your homework and assignments. I washed and waxed your car?’
Eleanor sighed and turned back to her iPad. ‘So you were just another one of those losers that thought they could be someone by sucking up to me?’
Cindy flushed. ‘Well, it, uh, wasn’t like that exactly. You see, I wasn’t very popular at school.’
‘Shocking.’
‘Well, you were the best thing about that school. It’s kind of embarrassing to say, but I wasn’t doing those things just to impress you, it made me genuinely happy. I would look forward to it. You were the closest thing I had to a friend back then.’
Eleanor lazily disguised her smirk with a pout. ‘Kelly, right?’
Cindy hated to correct her. ‘Cindy?’
‘Were you the one with all that eczema on your face?’
‘Um, no, that was Shelly.’
Eleanor smiled wide, showing the purity of her white teeth. ‘That’s right. That poor bitch. Whatever happened to her anyway?’
‘She, um, she died.’ Cindy remembered her mother had found her swinging from the branch of a tree in her backyard. She had apparently taken the hint that she was too ugly to deserve to live. It was the talk of the school for an afternoon until Eleanor dumped her boyfriend and reclaimed her place as the hot topic of gossip.
‘Oh well,’ yawned Eleanor, stretching her arms, arching her back, and expanding her bosom. Cindy glanced nervously away from Eleanor’s nipples as they pressed against her knit wool turtleneck. ‘It doesn’t really matter.’ She turned back to her iPad. ‘Hurry up with those bags, will you?’
‘Oh yes, sorry, Eleanor.’ The apology slipped effortlessly from her tongue. Eleanor accepted it with both silence and grace.
*
Cindy meticulously checked every cupboard and pantry shelf to ensure she did not put something in the wrong place. Eleanor’s housekeeper had a system and Cindy hated the thought of confusing it. What if Eleanor wanted something that the housekeeper couldn’t find? That wouldn’t be fair to either of them.
‘Hey you,’ came the same voice Cindy had spoken to over the speaker. Cindy turned to find a curvaceous teen wearing a white, short-sleeved V-neck tucked into her designer jean shorts. Her blonde hair was styled and glossed with product. She stood within the archway that led deeper into the manor with her hands on her hips. ‘I’m thirsty. Make me some lemonade.’
Cindy laughed nervously and looked to Eleanor for guidance.
‘My youngest,’ said Eleanor, her attention still on her iPad. ‘Alison.’
‘Oh, hi, Alison,’ said Cindy, ‘it’s so nice to meet you. I’m-‘
‘Now!’
Cindy shuddered at the sudden demand. She again looked to Eleanor in the hopes she might reprimand her daughter’s insolence, but she appeared to have barely noticed.
‘Um, OK, Alison,’ said Cindy, ‘I can do that. Eleanor?’ She hoped her question would awaken some parental admonishment.
‘Green tea,’ said Eleanor, without looking up.
*
Cindy heated two saucepans of mineral water. She poured four cups of pure Sucralose into one, stirred, and then left it on the stainless steel gas top to dissolve. She poured one tablespoon of green tea leaves into a strainer over a porcelain cup. She took the first saucepan of boiling water and poured it through the strainer until the bottom was fully immersed in hot water. She removed the strainer and allowed the tea to sit. She continued to stir the Sucralose in the water and then removed it from the hob to cool to room temperature. She poured refrigerated mineral water into a crystal tumbler and added organic lemon juice and sliced lemon slices.
She placed the teacup on a saucer and carried it over to Eleanor. She positioned it before her on the marble countertop and backed away.
Eleanor paid her no mind. Alison was showing her a video on her phone. Cindy could not make out the visual but heard the unmistakable sounds of a blubbering girl. There were taunts of feigned sympathy and giggles.
Alison leaned over the countertop. Her cleavage was exhibited intimidatingly through her too-tight V-neck. Her cheeks dimpled adorably as she laughed, pointing her manicured fingernail at the screen. Eleanor slowly shook her head in amused disbelief at the scene. Cindy chilled.
‘It’s good, right mom?’ said Alison
‘That poor girl,’ tittered Eleanor, rubbing her hand down her daughter’s back.
‘Pfft. She should be thanking me. I’m going to make her TikTok famous.’
‘Um,’ said Cindy. Neither of them turned to her. Let me know if the tea is OK? I can make you another if it’s too strong.’
Eleanor gave a noncommittal grunt.
‘Where’s my lemonade?’ said Alison.
‘Almost done. I just need to let it chill in the refrigerator.’
‘Then go do it,’ she said, grinning at her screen.
Cindy was startled into action as if pushed away by Alison’s command. She hurried to mix the Sucralose with the lemon water and placed the tumbler in the refrigerator.
‘It will take a few more minutes,’ she said to the disinterested Alison.
‘This had better be worth it,’ was the response.
Eleanor turned to Cindy, resting her elbow on the countertop and reaching for her tea. She pursed her sultry lips and slowly blew away the steam. The diamonds on her golden wedding ring flashed as she took a sip. Cindy held her breath and watched wide-eyed. Eleanor placed it delicately back upon the saucer.
‘Since you’ve nothing else to do but wait,’ she said, ‘you can go and see if Jessica needs anything.’
‘Absolutely,’ said Cindy, relieved Eleanor had found the tea satisfactory. ‘Happy to.’
*
Cindy watched Jessica play with awe and fascination. Cindy was not a tennis fan. She did not understand sports, but she had always admired athleticism in others. Jessica seamlessly blended grace with power as she dashed about the court, cleanly striking the balls that shot at her from a machine. Her sportswear was damp from sweat. Her toned legs glistened. Cindy wondered how long she had been at it. Her stamina showed no sign of stalling.
‘Hi there,’ she said cheerfully, approaching behind her. Jessica remained focused on her game. ‘I’m a friend of your mother’s?’ She knew Eleanor had never claimed her as a “friend” but it seemed less awkward to introduce herself like that rather than…what? What was she to Eleanor?
She felt a chill of dread. What was she doing? She was too old to be running around at the snap of Eleanor’s fingers. Back in high school, she possessed less self-esteem than a worm, but this wasn’t high school. She was not that same scared, pathetic girl who felt the need to apologize when her shadow encroached upon Eleanor’s space. She had a husband, a daughter, a mortgage, and a job. It might not have been much, certainly not as much as Eleanor, but it was still hers.
It had been a struggle for Cindy to overcome Eleanor after high school. She had spent her time sitting in her parent’s living room, staring at their phone, leaping for it each time it rang. It never was Eleanor. She couldn’t eat or sleep. She stopped bathing. All that mattered to her was the call from Eleanor that never came. She squirmed and tore at tissue paper, resisting the urge to call Eleanor herself. She had never been allowed to call Eleanor directly. There was no reason to. Eleanor told her what time she needed Cindy to do things and Cindy was expected to do them.
Cindy knew she needed to remain respectful of Eleanor’s privacy. Eleanor was busy preparing for Yale. If Eleanor needed her, she would call her. Although, she had hoped Eleanor would call for help decorating her house for her leaving party, or to serve drinks? Cindy was disappointed but understood. Eleanor had plenty of other dorks to call upon for that. Cindy was unnecessary.
She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She had bought a Yale sweatshirt for Eleanor as a departing gift. She knew it was only an excuse to see her one last time. She was unsure if she should give it to her but eventually decided she would regret it more if she did not at least try. Her entire senior year had been spent obsessing over everything Eleanor did, said, and demanded. Her pull was too strong to just ignore.
That morning, she cycled to Eleanor’s house with her gift to see Eleanor already in her Mercedes as her parents packed her car with suitcases. Eleanor blasted her horn and her parents picked up their pace. Cindy waved and approached.
‘Hi, Eleanor,’ she said, through the closed front seat window. ‘Hi,’ she said again, waving.
Eleanor did not see her, she was busy investigating her eyebrows in the rearview mirror. Cindy cleared her throat and tapped lightly on the window. Eleanor turned to her sharply and Cindy backed away from the hate.
‘S-sorry, Eleanor, I just wanted to wish you good luck before you left.’
Eleanor stared.
‘I um, got you something?’ She held up her gift. Eleanor stared. Cindy smiled nervously and unwrapped it herself. She held up the Yale sweater for Eleanor to see.
Eleanor sighed and began to blast her horn again. Cindy looked over to Eleanor’s parents who put the last of her cases on the backseat. Her mother moved next to Cindy and waved through the closed window, a nervous smile affixed to her adoring face.
‘We are all done, princess,’ she said.
Eleanor turned the ignition and without a second glance, sped down the road, leaving both her parents and Cindy coughing from her exhaust.
It was the last time Cindy had seen her. She had put all her high school effort into helping Eleanor graduate with top honors and left nothing for herself. She could never have gone to college. She had no friends. She had never been kissed. She couldn’t even imagine it. She developed agoraphobia, an eating disorder, she contemplated suicide. It had been a struggle, but she had overcome her depression. She had determined to never again return to those dark days. She was happy now. Well…she was content. Wasn’t she?
WHACK.
A tennis ball slammed into her eye. She clasped her cheek and collapsed onto her knees. It took a moment for her face to adjust to the pain. He blinked through water and saw Jessica pointing her racket down at her.
‘You fucking bitch. You distracted me!’
Cindy whimpered. What if she had detached a retina? She flinched as another ball flew over her head.
Jessica smashed her racket against the grass. ‘I was like four shots away from breaking my record.’ There was a crack. She screamed in rage and thrust her now broken racket at Cindy’s face. ‘Idiot, this is your fault. Look what you did.’
‘J-Jessica, I think I need some help. M-my eye.’
‘Don’t you dare change the subject. What about my racket?’
The cannon exploded, firing another ball. Cindy instinctively recoiled. She clambered to her feet and moved away from the line of fire. Jessica hunted her, brandishing her broken racket like a sledgehammer. The greens of her eyes were raging like a forest fire. Cindy cringed and held up her hands to protect herself from an attack. She backed away from the advancing Jessica, unrealizing she was so close to the edge of the pool. Her foot touched the air. She whelped as her momentum took her over.
Her lungs filled with warm water. She splashed to try and keep herself afloat. She had never learned to swim. She knew on a psychological level that she needed to remain calm, but as the chlorine stung her injured eye, she found herself thrashing around like a drowning kitten. Her cries for help were muffled. Jessica watched, smirking.
‘Please,’ said Cindy as she fought to keep her head above the surface, but her erratic kicks and swipes at the water were of little value. ‘Please,’ she said, coughing water, ‘I can’t swim.’
Jessica chuckled and strolled to the emergency life preserver. She lazily unhooked it and spun it in Cindy’s direction, catching Cindy on her head. Cindy desperately lunged and collapsed over it. She spluttered and panted for breath.
The preserver gently spun on the disturbed water. She saw Alison and Eleanor had vacated the manor to see the commotion. Alison’s cheeks were dimpled as she giggled at the scene, filming it on her phone.
Eleanor held her thumbs within her Gucci belt. ‘What on earth are you doing?’ Her breasts shook as she chuckled.
Jessica showed her racket. ‘Look what she made me do, mom. She owes me a new racket.’
‘Now, now, baby, she can hardly buy you a new racket if drowns in our pool, can she?’
Jessica scoffed. ‘She was just being dramatic. She wasn’t actually drowning.’
Alison giggled. ‘I don’t know,’ she said, placing her phone in the back pocket of her jean shorts, ‘it seemed pretty real to me.’
‘Whatever,’ said Jessica, ‘I threw her the life preserver, didn’t I? And I notice the ungrateful cunt hasn’t thanked me for it yet.’
Cindy looked up at her through the stinging blur in her eyes. Was she serious?
‘Language,’ said Eleanor. ‘Now, I’m sure Cindy will be more than happy to make it up to you, baby.’
‘She’d better.’
Cindy trembled despite the warmth of the water.
‘Yes, well,’ said Eleanor, pouting, ‘you girls head on inside now. I’ll deal with this.’
Alison sighed. ‘What about my lemonade?’
‘It ought to have cooled by now, sweetie.’
‘This isn’t fair. Why should I have to get it just because some dumb bitch fell into our pool?’
‘Alison,’ said Eleanor, ‘language.’
Alison rolled her eyes and stomped inside.
Jessica walked around the pool to join her mother.
Eleanor looked at her lovingly and rubbed her arm. ‘It’s OK, baby,’ she said, kissing her forehead.
Jessica glanced angrily at Cindy before following her sister inside the manor.
‘You’ve caused quite the scene,’ said Eleanor, once they were alone.
Cindy blushed. ‘I’m sorry, E-Eleanor,’ she said without thinking as if a string on her back had been pulled.
‘Perhaps I’m not the one you ought to be apologizing to?’
Cindy hesitated. The ball striking her eye had been an accident. And honestly, her vision was starting to return. Perhaps she had been a little overdramatic? And it wasn’t as if Jessica had pushed her into the pool. Cindy was the fool who fell in. In fact, Jessica had saved her life. There was no reason to be upset at Jessica. She hadn’t done anything wrong at all. Cindy nodded.
‘OK,’ said Eleanor, ‘you can stop floating around now and get out. You may stand on the patio until you’ve dried off. And I don’t want to see any of that trash left behind.’
Cindy looked around and saw her phone and some paper bobbing across the water: her receipts. They would be unreadable now. It was OK. She doubted she could have found the courage to ask for a reimbursement anyway after this. All she wanted now was to go home, crawl into her bed, cry, and masturbate herself to sleep.
*
Cindy walked through the kitchen on bare feet. She had left her socks and shoes drying in the sun. She would never risk leaving marks on the marble. She tip-toed across the tiles and through the archway into a corridor. Modern artwork hung on Venetian-style walls. Golden side tables housed vases filled with vibrant flowers. She avoided standing on the plush rugs for fear of sullying them with her touch.
She heard chatting from a side room. She wavered, nervous to approach further without an invitation. Should she wait in the kitchen until summoned? She shook her head and laughed at herself. What was she doing? Yes, Eleanor’s home was luxurious and intimidating. Yes, this corridor alone was probably more expensive than Cindy’s whole house. Yes, Eleanor and her daughters’ were beautiful women. Yes, her pussy tingled just thinking about them…she swallowed.
She poked her head through an open archway to find a stylish lounge. A large L-shaped sofa faced a 75″ plasma TV hanging from a wall above a fireplace. The room was illuminated by natural light. Outside the large windows, a sun deck surrounded by a jungle of exotic flowers and plant life.
Eleanor lounged at one end of the couch, resting her perfect posture against a stack of cushions. One of her arms was sprawled over the headrest while she sipped her green tea. Alison slouched in the middle of the couch. She had her feet crossed over a maple wood coffee table. She drank her lemonade slowly through a glass straw while thumbing over her phone screen. Cindy felt relieved the two of them seemed satisfied with the beverages she had prepared. Jessica sat at the far end of the couch. She had showered and changed into a matching Balenciaga sports bra and sweatpants. She turned from the TV to stare hatefully at Cindy’s approach.
Cindy cleared her throat and shuffled before them, placing her hands behind her back. She felt herself shrink under their stares. She felt her palms sweat. She looked to the floor.
Eleanor placed her cup and saucer on the coffee table. ‘I believe you have something you’d like to say to my daughter?’
‘Yes, um, I uh, wanted to apologize to you, Jessica. It wasn’t right that I ruined your game like that.’
‘And my racket?’
‘Y-yes, I’m sorry I made you do that.’
‘That was a handcrafted Bosworth Tour 96. Do you even know what that is?’
Cindy shook her head. ‘No, m-‘ she stopped herself before calling her “Miss.” She corrected herself: ‘J-Jessica,’ feeling as if she had somehow insulted her. ‘I’m really sorry.’
Eleanor ignored Cindy and spoke to her daughter. ‘It’s OK, baby. Cindy will be more than happy to buy you a new one.’
Cindy shivered. She looked up at Eleanor as if to plead. She had just spent over $600 on groceries for her. Eleanor glared, warning her to stay quiet.
Alison giggled. ‘Look at her, she looks like she’s about to cry.’
She was right. Cindy felt as guilty as a schoolgirl who was in trouble with the Principal for the first time.
‘This video is too funny,’ she added. ‘I’m totally uploading this to TikTok by the way.’
‘Well,’ said Cindy, ‘um, I’d rather you didn’t?’
Alison smiled at her phone, ignoring her request.
‘Hey,’ said Jessica. Cindy jumped and turned to her. ‘Your toenails are fucking gross.’
‘Baby,’ said Eleanor, ‘language.’
Jessica sighed. ‘Haven’t you ever had a pedicure?’
Cindy shook her head with shame. She wasn’t sure if the question was rhetorical but thought it was better to answer. Tears formed in her eyes. The emotion of almost drowning less than an hour earlier was threatening to overwhelm her. She trembled.
Jessica pointed at her. ‘Well, you’d better not be too poor to buy me that racket.’
‘I-I’m not,’ said Cindy wishing this could just be over. Why was she allowing them to talk to her like this? For all her attempts at adulting, she was still just the same dork from high school. It was as if with each passing second within Eleanor’s presence she was reverting back to her teenage self. Worst of all was the warm feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach. Hello humiliation, my old friend.
‘Good,’ said Eleanor, ‘then it’s settled. You may take the broken racket so they know her specifications. I expect you to be here at 10:00 tomorrow morning.’
‘Yes, Eleanor,’ she said, grateful that her ordeal was almost over.
‘And bring coffee.’
‘And juice,’ said Alison, still on her phone.
‘Of course,’ said Cindy, her knees buckling into a curtsey, ‘thank you.’
*
Please note this is a continuous story. In the next chapter, we see Cindy falling deeper into submission to Eleanor and her family. Please consider following me for updates. Thank you <3
